The present invention is directed to a snowboard binding system, and more particularly to a side engaging binding having at least one movable engaging member that secures a snowboarder""s boot from moving in a vertical or horizontal position once engaged.
With the ever increasing popularity of the sport of snowboarding, a need exists for a user-friendly binding system that enables a novice snowboarder to readily adopt the sport without having extensive knowledge of boots and bindings and how they interrelate. An effective binding system must enable a snowboarder to quickly and easily engage and disengage his/her boot from a snowboard. A release mechanism is required that is convenient to operate so that a snowboarder can disengage his/her boot while mounting a chair lift or, in the event of a fall, release as necessary on a snowboard run, such as where the snowboarder requires release from the snowboard in deep snow. A snowboard binding system should be relatively lightweight, sturdy, adaptable to different size boots, rugged, capable of working under conditions where snow and ice may accumulate and must be operable by individuals with gloved hands.
Numerous patents have issued disclosing various types of snowboard bindings, such bindings capable of being categorized as being either toe-to-heel bindings, underfoot attachment bindings or side mounted bindings. Existing designs for toe-to-heel bindings fail to provide the side-to-side support desired by snowboarders, especially given the preferred positioning of a snowboarder""s feet along a transverse angle from the longitudinal axis of the snowboard. The xe2x80x9cboard feelxe2x80x9d experienced by snowboarders using a side mounted binding is believed to be superior to that experienced using a toe-to-heel binding. By gripping a snowboarder""s boot along the lateral edges of a boot sole, rather than from the toe and heel of a boot, a reduction in the mechanical stresses on the snowboarder""s anatomy is achieved since the lateral edges of a snowboarder""s boot receive a greater amount of mechanical stress than those encountered at the toe and heel.
Several patents have issued relating to side boot-mounted bindings. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,443 to Kincheloe discloses a binding in which a boot slides into engagement with a socket member that engages a boot plate underneath the boot sole. The necessity of slidably engaging a boot to a binding, however, presents difficulties in situations where a snowboarder is unable to readily move his/her boot in a manner allowing the boot to slide out of engagement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,073 to Raines et al. describes a binding that relies upon a spring-loaded, cam operated latch on one side of a snowboard binding to secure a boot to a snowboard. Specially designed ridges on each side of a boot are gripped by a pair of opposed mating sockets on the surface of the snowboard, one of such sockets having a spring biased hooking lip rotatably mounted via downwardly projecting portions. The rotational motion of the hooking lip latches one of the ridge portions of the boot binding. A snowboarder is required to first insert a first binding ridge into a longitudinal socket defined by a first ridge entrapping member, and once seated in the socket, the snowboard rider angularly lowers the other side of the boot to allow a second binding ridge to slip downward past the rotating hooking lip. Raines et al.""s design thus requires the angular positioning of a snowboarder""s boot to engage the binding and relies upon the rotational interaction of a boot ridge with a pivoting hooking lip.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,823 to Glaser describes the use of a boot plate engageable by a fixed jaw and an opposite slide jaw assembly. The slide jaw assembly engages edge portions of a boot plate and has three operating modes, adjusted by moving a cammed lever into either an engaging, locking or intermediate position. A rider first engages the fixed jaw side of the binding and then, with the cammed lever in a proper position, angularly engages the slide jaw so as to cause rotation about a center axis of a locking arm. A rotational force is exerted on the locking arm until a final locking position is achieved whereby the slide jaw housing snaps back to a position to engage the boot plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,508 to Spademan discloses a ski binding in which opposing pivotally mounted lever members are operated by depressing a heel-receiving member with the tip of a ski pole. By stepping into the bindings, the heel member opens a levered clamping mechanism until the ski boot is placed in the skiing position, at which time the clamping members are allowed to move to a closed position under a biased action of the levered clamping members.
Despite these prior designs, however, a need still exists for a relatively inexpensive, rugged and simple binding system that affords the user-friendliness demanded by novice snowboarders, as well as the ease of operation and superlative board-feel desired by experienced snowboarders. There is also a need for a boot that cooperates with a binding system in such a manner as to facilitate the increasingly demanding safety and performance characteristics desired by today""s snowboarders.
Conventional snowboard boots have been generally of a soft shell design and snowboarders often utilize insulated boots such as Sorels(trademark). The mechanical stresses encountered by a snowboarder in manipulating a snowboard, however, require certain aspects of a boot to be more rigid to provide support of various desired ankle and leg configurations. There is, therefore, a need for a snowboarding boot that is designed to cooperate with a side-mounted binding in such a way as to afford a snowboarder maximum support for safety reasons, as well as to enhance desired board-feel.
The present invention is directed to a snowboard binding system that comprises a side engaging boot binding having at least one active side that permits easy step-in engagement by a snowboarder and that facilitates securement of a snowboarder""s boot without undesired vertical and horizontal movements. The present invention provides a system whereby vertical pressure by a snowboarder""s boot toward the surface of the snowboard moves an engaging member from a first extended position to a second retracted position, and finally back to the first extended position, thereby securing the boot to the boot binding. A lever is operably attached to the engaging member and is movable between first and second positions which moves the engaging member between extended and retracted positions, thereby providing for easy disengagement of a boot from the binding. The engaging member of the present invention is reversibly movable in a substantially horizontal direction away from and toward a rider""s boot and the tensional force exerted by the engaging member is preferably adjustable.
In one embodiment, the engaging member is received in a receptacle formed in the lateral side of the sole of a boot, such receptacle either being formed as an integral part of the sole or formed in a boot plate that is attachable to a sole. The engaging mechanism of the present invention provides for the securing of a rider""s boot so that neither horizontal nor vertical movement of the boot is possible after engagement. Preferably the restriction of both vertical and horizontal movement are achieved by the movable engaging member, however, static elements can be used to prevent horizontal movement while the engaging member can be solely relied upon to restrict vertical movement of a boot from a snowboard""s surface.
The engaging member of the present invention can be formed from one solid piece of material, or can be of a toothed design. The engaging member""s housing can be of an open construction to permit the evacuation of undesired snow or ice from the path of the engaging member. More than one tensioned engaging member can be utilized on one side of a boot to facilitate different torsional control of a binding along the lateral length of a rider""s boot.
In one particular embodiment of the present invention, two engaging members are utilized on each opposing side of a rider""s boot, thereby alleviating any need for angular positioning of a rider""s boot into a fixed binding mount.
Another embodiment of the present invention involves a duo-active sided binding system whereby both engaging members are operable by adjusting a single lever positioned on one or the other side of the binding.
A separate aspect of the present invention is directed to a boot designed to operate effectively with a side engaging and/or duo-active side engaging binding system. A calf support member is operatively attached to a vertically adjustable high-back element. The calf support member is designed so as to permit lateral movement of a snowboarder""s leg, thereby permitting slidable lateral movement while still maintaining desired support characteristics of the boot. The high-back element is reversibly engageable with a nub on the boot itself, thus allowing the detachment of the high-back element to afford a natural walking motion by a snowboarder when not engaged in snowboarding.
In one embodiment of the present invention, positioning keys and positioning contours (guidance ramps and complementary structures) are provided on the binding system so that a snowboarder""s boot is guided into operative proper engagement. The positioning keys naturally guide the snowboarder""s in the proper position with the binding system and also act as an impediment to horizontal movement of a snowboarder""s boot.
The engaging members of the present invention can be either active or static and can be located on a boot sole or, alternatively, as part of the binding system itself. Preferably, the engaging member is of a 3.5xe2x80x3 length to hold the boot in a stable position when engaged with the binding system, preferably a length that extends between about 10% to about 100% of the length of a snowboarder""s boot, and preferably at least about 15% of a snowboarder""s boot. The engaging member can be of any suitable depth or width, but is preferably at least about xc2xc inch so as to facilitate proper engagement with a corresponding receptacle or lateral engaging ledge.
In one embodiment, engaging members can be locked into an open position, whereby engaging members are maintained in a retracted state, thus facilitating chair lift boarding and propulsion using a free foot by a snowboarder.
In yet another embodiment to the present invention, engaging members are connected to springs located substantially underneath a snowboarder""s foot, thus reducing the amount of hardware on the surface of the snowboard surrounding a snowboarder""s engaged boot.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention includes warming means to facilitate the melting of ice or snow on the binding system, and additionally warms the feet of a snowboarder.
Other aspects and embodiments of the present invention can be further understood by referring to the drawings below as well as to the detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention.